Ramin Bahrani draws inspiration from Satyajit Ray’s work
The director says he is awed by the humanism and focus on simple stories in the Indian filmmaker’s movies
American-Iranian director Ramin Bahrani was struck by the realism and humanism in the works of Satyajit Ray, and says he continues to reflect upon the maestros cinematic craft and imbibe some of the hues on his canvas.
The director also appreciates the current wave of Independent cinema in India, and feels it reflects something that was missing from cinema in our country for a long time. “I have a vivid memory. In college in the 1990s, (author) Aravind (Adiga), I and one of our friends, we would walk to the Lincoln Plaza Cinema. Because that summer, Martin Scorsese had restored and was releasing nine of Satyajit Ray's films. So, every two weeks we would walk all the way and see the film, and then we would walk all the way back talking about it,” Bahrani said, while opening up about the influence of Ray on his work.
“I was just struck by the humanism in his films, the focus on simple stories, character-based stories. It was a kind of a fresh revelation to see them at that time. I continue to draw upon his work. And now, I am really digging the new
Hindi cinema in Indie (space). It is pretty awesome,” he added.
As a filmmaker, he likes to tell stories from an outsider's perspective, and that is something he spotted in Indian cinema. “You can have an outsider perspective within your own country. I’ve tried to do that with my films in the (United) States, where I have tried to pick subjects that aren’t typically noticed, and I see that (happening) in new independent cinema in India, which I find amazing,” Bahrani said.
He continued: "The burgeoning new indie cinema here is awesome. I had not seen anything like that in Indian cinema for a long time. So, I think there's really talented work being done that is fresh and made from a new perspective, because those Indian directors are trying to find a new way to see their own country.” —IANS